In many applications, a computer-driven printer generates only one or two pages of printed information in response to each task which produces printed output. However, and as discussed in more detail below, the paper feed mechanisms of most conventional printers which use elongate sheets of interconnected sections or pages make it necessary to eject from the printer an additional page which is blank in order to remove from the printer the final page which has printing thereon. The additional blank page is usually thrown away. Consequently, in applications of this type, the portion of an elongate sheet which is essentially wasted can be as high as 30% to 50% of the sheet. Obviously, waste at this level represents a significant expense, and a reduction of the amount of waste will result in a significant savings. Further, such a reduction presents environmental advantages, since it reduces the number of trees which must be destroyed to make paper and since it also reduces the amount of waste paper which must be incinerated or dumped in landfills.
Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide an elongate sheet of paper which is suitable for use in a conventional printing device and which is designed to significantly reduce the amount of paper which is simply thrown away in applications of the type described above.